Alcohol Rehab Provides A Vital Service To Society
Alcohol abuse tends to be overshadowed by the attention given to drug addiction and the issues it spawns. There was a day when alcohol received the sort of spotlight currently on drugs, but that was long ago. Under Prohibition, gangs took over the distribution of alcohol, illicit booze money bought palatial homes, nightclubs provided the front for alcohol sales, kegs of contraband liquor were smuggled by boat from Canada, authorities were bribed to look the other way and gangsters openly fought it out with each other with brazen shootings and spectacular murders. A war against alcohol was declared by the government; money and resources were thrown at the issue.
Flash forward seven decades and there’s a new bogeyman. The war on drugs has been underway for years and the media seems preoccupied with this new crusade. Any time Addiction Treatment is mentioned, it’s almost always in relation to drug abuse. Alcohol is legal and more or less considered to be a socially acceptable vice. Selling alcohol is legitimate -and big- business, and governments derive significant funds from taxing its sale.
There are big numbers thrown around when talking about the impact of drugs on society, but many people don’t have a clue about the huge numbers that alcohol abuse puts up. Alcohol Rehab is a necessary service and it seems a bargain when compared to the damage that alcohol abuse can cause. Consider some of the shocking statistics compiled by M.A.D.D. (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), the insurance industry and medical associations:
• in 2007, statistics show that nearly 13,000 Americans died in drunk driving-related accidents
• in 2000, alcohol-related car crashes cost the public over $50 Billion, plus over $63 Billion in additional quality of life costs
• it’s estimated that alcohol abuse is responsible for over 100,000 deaths each year (including the victims of drunk driving crashes)
• an estimated 18 percent of American report that they abused alcohol at some point in their lives
• half of adult drinkers say they have a blood relative who is an alcoholic
• according to M.A.D.D. figures, alcohol kills more than six times as many American youth than all illegal drugs combined
Put in this perspective, any Alcohol Rehab Center seems like a valuable addition to the community. Unfortunately, it isn’t quite that straightforward. Where there’s an opportunity to make money, there will be those that take advantage of the situation. All rehabs are not created equal and the ones that sprouted up purely as a profitable enterprise tend to be the ones that generate repeat business. Emphasis at these clinics tends to be more on making money and less on ensuring that each alcoholic is treated.
An effective Alcohol Rehab Program does not cut corners and frequently the people involved in launching the center have been affected by substance abuse, with a personal stake in seeing other people make a recovery. This dedication is reflected through centers that boast the most qualified staff, individualized treatments that are customized for each patient, comfortable accommodations, followup and aftercare programs and an overriding sense of respect and compassion for every patient that seeks treatment.
- March 19th
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